I have a press and a studio model. Surprisingly, out in public, a lot of people know what I'm using...or at least that it's 4x5 (or sometimes 5x4).

The most common questions I get are from people who think it's a moving picture camera, or people asking for prints or pictures of them and their friends.

In my experience, photographers who have commented on the camera are far and away more unintelligent and annoying than the non photographers who have done so. Most common reactions from photographers are:

1. "What is it?"
2. "That's a Polaroid camera, right?" or, alternately, "Is it digital?"
3. "Do you have film in there?" or, alternately, "Does it work?"
4. "You have to change the film every time?"
5. "They're only good for one flash?"
6. "You're crazy. How do you use that thing?" (answer: "I may be crazy, but I'm not an idiot.")
7. "Where's the [insert any 35mm camera part here]?"
8. "How do you [insert any 35mm camera procedure here]?"
9. "I didn't know they made a studio camera too." (This one is not really bad at all.)
10. "Can you e-mail me the pictures?" (My personal favorite to respond to. I simply say: "No.")

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:00 pm Post subject: An off the wall comment heard while using a Speed Graphic

I've enjoyed the reports of comments heard by some of us Graflex users. The oddest one that I've heard while using my 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 Pacemaker Speed was "Too bad those old cameras can't do color photos." while I had a roll of Kodak Portra 400VC loaded in the roll film back!('')
('')

C. Henry

Last edited by C. Henry on Tue Jul 03, 2007 5:11 pm; edited 1 time in total

A couple weeks back I was at the semester-end lunch for out film photographers group at the high-end hamburger emporium at the local yacht club. I brought my 4X5 crown (with bulb flash of course) along to record the event. I got many strange looks. The only verbal comment, from a gentleman old enough to have used one new, was: "I haven't seen one of those in over 30 years." He was smiling.

A 5X7 Speed will certainly bring out the comments. A very impressive piece of equipment. I recently sold mine. I'm down to using 2X3, 3X4 and 4X5. That's all I can handle nowadays._________________Glenn

I had some good comments and questions at the inauguration in January, with the best by far being "Are you here covering the 1928 inauguration?"

But most comments fall closer to the edges of "is that an old camera"/"does it still work" at one end, to the other end of the spectrum, "wow, I haven't used a Speed Graphic in 30 years," which I've heard twice so far in my two and a half years taking pictures in public with the camera.

Had interesting comments from professional photographers in Turkey who have never shot film and just don't believe film is still made for Speed/Crown Graphics.

But the Graphics don't elicit anything like as much interest compared to my Wista, usually it's wow that's old it must be antique - I reply no it's quite new they are made in Japan & the lenses in Germany